OK I made only 1/2 of JodieF's caramel filling recipe yesterday (YUM, thanks Jodie!) and still have a mountain of it left over.

As the recipe states, it is VERY thick, although mine came out thicker than I expected. It's not really spreadable, it's verrrrry sticky, like you can't eat it straight or it just sticks to your teeth.

I actually combined half of it with ganache to make a caramel chocolate ganache (TO DIE FOR btw) but I have about 1.5 CUPS of caramel still left over.

What on earth can I do with it? It's not pourable like a sauce, and it's hard to scoop cuz it's so sticky. I don't even know if I would want to dip it and make caramel candies as it's sooo sticky. Kind of like a Milk Dud. I could make more ganache but since I used 1:1 caramel/ganache that would then leave me with 3 cups of ganache!

Any other suggestions??

Send it to me.

COD even!

I'll be right over and help you eat it! LOL.

I would mix it with ice cream....YUMMY!

LOL Chutzpah

I'D EAT IT! It's only 1 1/2 cups, it would be gone in 3 days in my house....yummy caramel! My weakness

(of course my kids would help me )

You're so funny, chutzpah.

There is a recipe posted in the forum by Melvira for an awesome looking cupcake which tastes like Snickers. It has a layer of caramel in it. If your batch is solid enough to use in that recipe it would be a great one to try. Just search the forum for snickers cupcakes and I think you'll find it. I personally would probably try to heat it and pour it over popcorn. Nothing better in my book!

Turn them into caramel covered Pretzel sticks or rods. Take a Pretzel rod, roll one end 1/2 way with the caramel then roll it in some chocolate chips and peanuts. Yum.

Yum, hallow3, that sounds great.

Well, I'm glad you liked the flavor. Honestly though, it should be very spreadable unless it's cold. I wonder if you maybe cooked it too long? If it get to the hard ball stage then it's going to be really, really thick!

I will admit though, when I wrote that I dip apples in it, I meant I dip sliced apples in the caramel, not that I make caramel apples! Sorry about that!

edited to add: The full recipe makes exactly 4 cups of caramel.

Jodie

Thanks everyone! Jodie, it's not rock hard, I mean you can put a spoon (rather than a chisel) in it, but I think I would have to have a piping bag made of steel to get that stuff to pipe out and I'm quite sure it would destroy my cake if I dared try to spread it. My kitchen is approx 70-73 degrees by the way. It was what I would consider "perfect spreading consistency" when I combined it 50/50 with ganache. I could have overcooked it although my thermometer swears I didn't . When you say you dip apples in it, you mean once it's already cooled it's still dippable? Because it's definitely not dippable. But I like that idea! LOL I'm going to go downstairs and try it right now even if I have to put it on my apple with a knife.

You guys are funny with your caramel weakness. I love the taste of caramel, and you should get a load of it as a filling in the apple-banana cake I made--I'm thinking of skipping the party tonight and keeping the cake for myself . However my real weakness is chocolate...which is why I want to do something w/the caramel cuz if I mix the rest of it in with more ganache I WILL eat it in lieu of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Anyway I am loving all of these suggestions. Till I figure out which way to go or until I get Chutzpah's address, here's the ubiquitous CC question: can you freeze it?? Or its sister question: how long will it last??

Yep, once it's cooled it's still dippable (is that a word? ). I can use an apple slice to dip with even straight out of the fridge! I mean it's thick, but an apple will do the trick. It's not sticky like you described either.

This is interesting! I wonder what made yours so thick and sticky???

Jodie

Yeah that apple was definitely not goin' in. I had to wrestle some out w/my spoon and nuke it. I think I figured it out, though: I am sure you're right about the temperature; although I cooked it to the correct temp, I'll bet I didn't get it out of the pan fast enough, and it probably continued to cook in the pan while I fumbled around my kitchen looking for a heatproof bowl to pour it into. That's my theory anyway.

I stuck it in the fridge till I can decide which of the above things to do with it. That won't ruin it, right?

Naw....I keep my extra in the fridge. It'll be fine. I wonder if you could warm it, then pour it in a buttered pan and let it set. Then you could cut it into caramels and dip it in chocolate? Or, would you break your teeth?

It wouldn't break my teeth, it's not that hard, but it would be verrrry hard to chew cuz it's so thick and sticky. The apple idea worked because the apple is so juicy, it helped break up the caramel. I think the pretzels will work too .

And besides: there you go with that chocolate idea!...what are you trying to do, ruin me???!!

I know....caramel and chocolate....heaven on earth!!!! Oh Lordy...now I'm gonna have to go home and make some caramel!

Jodie

Put it in a jar and then warm it up and and use it as ice cream topping.

Make some molded chocolates with the caramel-ganche as the filling.

Peel and core an apple and place in a bowl. Fill the center that was cored out and put in the caramel-ganache filling about 1/2 way and smear some on top of the apple. Microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes or until soft.

That's all I can come up with right now. Sorry.

you could try thinning it with cream on the stove to make it dipping caramel for apples.

Warm it (microwave on low, or stove very very low) and pour into chocolate tartlet shells.

Or warm it a little hotter and pour over chopped chocolate - sit - stir till smooth and pour into plain shells. Second idea is from Flo Braker, Sweet Minature book (Midas Cups).

Picture shows Left - all caramel w/ganach star; Right - chocolate caramel combined.

But, the ice cream topping suggestion is definitely a winner!

HTH - Pat

OHMIGOSH....why didn't I post this recipe too? It's what I use the caramel for half the time!

Shortbread Tarts

Beat 1 cup softened butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar for about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 T. corn starch and a pinch of salt and mix until just combined. The dough is very soft. Grease miniature muffin tins. Divide dough into 36 pieces. Press a piece into each cup, pressing to make a center indentation. Place tins in freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake tarts for 10 minutes. Open oven and prick bottom of tarts with a fork to eliminate "puff". Bake an additional 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
For caramel tarts, I fold about a cup of my caramel into Cool Whip and then fill the cooled tarts. Then I drizzled the tarts with more caramel. I would prefer to use whipped cream, but it doesn't hold as well.

Jodie

*drools*